Continuously knit tubular hosiery garment blank and pantyhose garment formed therefrom

ABSTRACT

A circularly knit tubular hosiery blank and a garment formed therefrom, the blank having panty, thigh, knee, ankle and foot portions separated from each other by increasing and decreasing diameter graduation portions and a constant number of wales throughout. The blank is thereby configured to conform to the natural shape of a female leg with gradually increasing and decreasing diameters to avoid abrupt diameter changes and maintain the integrity of the blank fabric&#39;s appearance.

[0001] This is a continuation-in-part application of pending applicationSer. No. 08/909,245 filed Aug. 11, 1997.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The invention relates to a seamless knit hosiery blank and agarment formed thereby and more particularly to a contoured blank formedby a plurality of increasing and decreasing diameter portionsconfiguring the blank so that it conforms to the natural shape of afemale leg.

[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0005] Pantyhose and hosiery manufacturers have long searched for aconstruction that would enable leg covering hosiery garments to moreprecisely conform to the shape of the wearer's leg, thus enhancing fitcharacteristics and garment appearance. Traditionally, some shaping hasbeen possible on fixed needle circular knit hosiery machines through theuse of graduated stitches whereby the top of the blank which conforms tothe waist of the pantyhose formed from two such blanks starts at a givenmaximum diameter opening and then gradually is reduced in diameter asthe garment is continuously knit toward the toe to thus more preciselyfit the leg upper portion and the smaller leg lower portion to the foot.Graduated stitches are stitches that have been reduced in stitch length,thus removing yarn from each course that utilizes the smaller stitches.While this technique has been generally effective to provide a garmentwith good fit characteristics through the tapering process inconjunction with the use of stretch yarn, there is still a long feltneed to develop a technique to fully configure such a garment to bothdecrease and selectively increase the blank and garment therefromdiameter where the leg follows such a general shape. It is to this needthat the present invention is directed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The present invention is for a circularly knit constant waletubular hosiery blank having panty, thigh, knee, ankle and foot portionswhich are selectively separated by increasing and decreasing diametergraduation portions to configure the blank to conform to the naturalshape of a female leg. The blank for a pantyhose garment utilizing twosuch blanks joined together is usually knit starting at the welt orwaist portion and then extending downwardly through the upper pantyportion, the lower panty portion, the thigh portion, the knee portion,the ankle portion and finishing at the foot portion with the diameter ofthe tubular blank generally decreasing by the use of graduated stitchesthroughout the length. In the present invention, the blank is started atan upper panty portion on all of the needles of the machine, thus havinga fixed number of wales and a constant diameter and then extends to apanty graduation portion of increasing diameter, then to a lowerpanty/upper boot portion of constant diameter and thereafter to thethigh graduation portion having a decreasing diameter. Formation of theknee with a constant diameter follows with a lower leg graduationportion of decreasing diameter connecting the knee portion to an ankleportion of constant diameter. A final instep graduation portion ofincreasing diameter extends to a formed foot portion of constantdiameter. Thus, the blank experiences selectively positioned areas of atleast two graduation portions of increasing diameter and two graduationportions of decreasing diameter. The number of needles and resultingwales remains the same throughout the blank.

[0007] From this summary, it can be seen that a primary objective of thepresent invention is to provide a hosiery blank and garment madetherefrom having superior fit and appearance characteristics broughtabout by the selective use of graduation stitches during the knittingprocess.

[0008] Another objective of the present invention is to provide apantyhose garment utilizing two identically formed circularly knittubular blanks which, when joined, form a panty portion and individualleg and foot portions. Additional fit characteristics can be provided byincluding a gusset of appropriate size along the juncture line formedwhen the tubular blanks are slit and sewn together along their slitedges.

[0009] Thus, there has been outlined in summary form, the more importantfeatures of the invention in order that the detailed description thatfollows may be better understood and in order that the presentcontribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are obviouslyadditional features of the invention that will be described hereinafterand which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. Itis to be understood that the invention is not limited in its applicationto the details of construction and to the arrangement of the componentsset forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings.The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced andcarried out in various ways.

[0010] It is also to be understood that the phraseology and terminologyherein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded aslimiting in any respect. Those skilled in the art will appreciate theconcept upon which this disclosure is based and that it may readily beutilized as a basis for designing other structures, methods and systemsfor carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It isalso to be understood that the abstract is neither intended to definethe invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, norto limit its scope in any way.

[0011] This summary and these objectives of the invention, along withthe various features of novelty which characterize the invention, arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention,its operating advantages and the specific objects obtained by its use,reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptivematter in which like characters of reference designate like partsthroughout the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012]FIG. 1 is a frontal view of the hosiery blank comprising theinvention, illustrated in emphasized fashion the selective inclusion ofa plurality of graduation portions of increasing and decreasing diameterseparating the panty, boot, knee, ankle and foot portions; and

[0013]FIG. 2 is a frontal view of a pantyhose garment comprising thepresent invention formed by joining two hosiery blanks like that shownin FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0014] Prior to describing the present invention in detail, reference ismade to the blank shown in FIG. 1 and generally designated 10 and to theapplication of typical prior art practices. Blank 10 is intended to beone which is to be paired with another of similar construction, slit andseamed and formed into a pantyhose garment. According to conventionalprior art practice, the blank will have a double welt tubular portion ofsay 144 courses which may be of stretch nylon or of stretch, elastic,non-spandex yarn. This is followed by a second tubular portion of thesame diameter having somewhere between 700 to 800 courses in a typicalcase. The measured diameter when measured as a “stretched diameter”might, in a typical case be about 13 inches. While stitch type may vary,a plain jersey stitch is typically used. At the end of this tubularportion, the garment is narrowed in diameter by the utilization ofgraduated stitches so that the stitched length utilized in each courseis reduced. The graduation stitches continue or selectively stop andrecommence at locations down the leg until the smallest diameter area isreached at the ankle and foot portion. The same number of needle-formedwales are used throughout.

[0015] The present invention represents a dramatic departure from thisconventional practice in that it results in a garment having superiorfit and appearance characteristics over those produced by conventionalpractice. The blank comprising the invention is generally designated 16and is formed by commencing with a double welt tubular portion 18followed by an upper panty portion 20 having a constant diameter d,which is the same as the diameter of the double welt portion 18. Upperpanty portion 20 is followed by panty graduation portion 22 of anincreasing diameter d₂ until the lower panty/upper boot portion 24having a constant diameter d₃ is commenced.

[0016] Upon completion of portion 24, a thigh graduation portion 26 iscommenced and formed with a decreasing diameter d₄, and thereafter kneeportion 28 having a constant diameter d₅ is formed and terminates withthe commencement of a lower leg graduation portion 30 having adecreasing diameter d₆. After portion 30 is completed, ankle portion 32is formed with a constant diameter d₇. Blank 16 is completed by theformation of an instep graduation portion 34 having an increasingdiameter d₈ and foot portion 36 with a constant diameter d₉.

[0017] The selectively positioned increasing and decreasing diameterportions d2, d4, d6 and d8 are done gradually so that fabric flawsnormally associated with abrupt graduation changes are avoided.

[0018] Also, forming a part of the present invention is a pantyhosegarment shown generally as 38 formed by joining two blanks 16 like thatpreviously described along edges 40 formed from slitting each blank in alongitudinal direction and joining the two blanks 16 along those cutedges. Additional and favorable fit characteristics are included in thegarment by the provision of a gusset 42 of a preselected size.

[0019] The now joined blank 16 thereby forms panty garment 38 which hasa continuous welt 44, a tubular upper panty portion 46 and a pantygraduation portion 48 of increasing diameter fashioned to cover thatportion of the wearer's body which extends from the waist outwardly tothe widest portion of the hips. Since the torso is generally uniformfrom the hips through the lower panty/upper boot portion 24, thediameter through each remains constant. The balance of the garment ineach leg is like that previously described for a single blank,decreasing in diameter through the thigh graduation portion 26, holdingwith a constant diameter through knee portion 28, decreasing again indiameter through lower leg graduation portion 30, and holding a constantdiameter through ankle portion 32. Instep graduation portion 34 includesa decreasing diameter, and the garment terminates with a foot portion 36of constant diameter.

[0020] In summary, the invention provides a new construction for forminga hosiery blank and pantyhose therefrom that includes contouringtechnology resulting in a configuration that contours to the shape ofthe body for a superior fit from the waist to the toe of the garment.

[0021] In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth thebest mode presently contemplated for the practice of the presentinvention. Although specific terms are employed, they are used in thegeneric and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation,the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A continuously knit tubular hosiery blank formaking a hosiery product to cover the female leg, the blank having afixed unchanging number of wales, a plurality of courses, and a varyingdiameter comprising: panty, thigh, knee, ankle and foot portionsselectively separated by increasing and decreasing diameter graduationportions to configure the blank to conform to the natural shape of afemale leg.
 2. The blank as claimed in claim 1 wherein the panty portionhas an upper panty portion with a constant diameter, a panty graduationportion with an increasing diameter and a lower panty and upper bootportion with a constant diameter.
 3. The blank as claimed in claim 1wherein the thigh portion has a decreasing diameter.
 4. The blank asclaimed in claim 1 wherein the knee portion has a constant diameter, theblank including a lower leg graduation portion with a decreasingdiameter.
 5. The blank as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ankle portionhas a constant diameter.
 6. The blank as claimed in claim 1 wherein thefoot portion has a constant diameter.
 7. The blank as claimed in claim 1having an instep graduation portion connecting the ankle and footportions with the instep graduation portion diameter increasing from theankle portion to the foot portion.
 8. The blank as claimed in claim 2wherein the thigh portion has a decreasing diameter.
 9. The blank asclaimed in claim 2 wherein the knee portion has a constant diameter, theblank including a lower leg graduation portion with a decreasingdiameter.
 10. The blank as claimed in claim 2 wherein the ankle portionhas a constant diameter.
 11. The blank as claimed in claim 2 wherein thefoot portion has a constant diameter.
 12. The blank as claimed in claim2 having an instep graduation portion connecting the ankle and footportions with the instep graduation portion diameter increasing from theankle portion to the foot portion.
 13. The blank as claimed in claim 3wherein the knee portion has a constant diameter, the blank including alower leg graduation portion with a declining diameter.
 14. The blank asclaimed in claim 3 wherein the ankle portion has a constant diameter.15. The blank as claimed in claim 3 wherein the foot portion has aconstant diameter.
 16. The blank as claimed in claim 3 having an instepgraduation portion connecting the ankle and foot portions with thediameter increasing from the ankle portion to the foot portion.
 17. Theblank as claimed in claim 3 wherein the knee portion has a constantdiameter, the blank including a lower leg graduation portion with adecreasing diameter, the ankle portion has a constant diameter, the footportion has a constant diameter, and the blank having an instepgraduation portion connecting the ankle and foot portions with theinstep graduation portion diameter increasing from the ankle portion tothe foot portion.
 18. A pantyhose garment formed by joining two blankseach of which like that claimed in claim 1 .
 19. A pantyhose garmentformed by joining two blanks each of which as claimed in claim 17 . 20.A pantyhose garment formed by joining two blanks each of which asclaimed in claim 18 .